KidSpring Online – Week 6: Mother’s Day

Memory Verse: Ephesians 6:1

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Peanut Butter and Jelly

How many of you groan when you see a peanut butter and jelly sandwich because you see it EVERY day?

When we eat the same thing every day, it gets old. We get bored of it, and we want something new. It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that this peanut butter and jelly sandwich means something. It means that back home, there’s a mom who loves you enough to make you this sandwich and feed you every day.

Maybe you don’t get peanut butter and jelly. Maybe you get bologna. Or even hot lunch. Whatever your lunch habit may be, it’s Mom who makes it happen.

Moms do all kinds of things we take for granted. They kiss our boo boos, they read us stories, they sing songs to us, they drive us places we need to go and fun places we want to go. Moms are always putting your needs ahead of their own, not because they think you’ll pay them back, but just because they love you.

Moms work hard, and they deserve as much thanks and love as we can give. Tomorrow morning, whatever Mom does for your lunch, tell her thank you. Then tell her you love her.

How many of you, by show of hands, told your Mom you love her this morning?

You better have said, “I love you” already! Today of all days, you need to say it. Today is Mother’s Day, and it’s a day we set aside to honor our Moms.

Being a Mom is a full-time job. That doesn’t mean 40 hours a week like most full-time jobs. It means 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Being a Mom means that you have to be flexible and be willing to change plans at a moment’s notice. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a full-time paid job, or even go out and have fun. But it does mean that if someone starts throwing up, you have to leave before the movie is over and race home because the babysitter doesn’t want to clean up any more of your barf!

Moms do so much for us, we simply don’t have time to list it all. They teach us how to sit up, roll over, stand up, walk, talk, feed ourselves, and dress ourselves. They teach us to use manners and share with others. They provide us with food and clothing and medicine and toys, and sometimes most important of all – those reassuring hugs when we need it.

Moms are also tasked with the most important job of all: teaching us to follow Christ. If you’re here this morning, it means you have parents that take God’s commands to teach children to love God seriously. More than anything, they want you to become people who love God and love others so that one day, you can teach your own children the same.

Moms do all this without collecting a paycheck. They rarely get time off, and even when they do get a moment or two alone, you’re never far from their thoughts. They don’t parent because they get something in return. They parent because they love. God wants us to love them in return.

There’s a beautiful story about a mother and child in the Old Testament. The child wasn’t even the mother’s child; she was her daughter-in-law. But Ruth still set an example for us to follow; learning to love our mothers the way God wants us to.

MAIN POINT:

Naomi had lost everything, her husband and her two boys. She had no choice but to go home and hope that someone in her family would take pity on her. She didn’t want Ruth to suffer with her, and she selflessly told Ruth to go home.

Ruth refused. Ruth loved Naomi like a mother. She vowed to take care of Naomi. She would provide for them both, and she would worship God with her adopted mother. Ruth showed Naomi the same selfless love Naomi had shown her. She followed God’s command, to love and honor her mother.

DRIVE IT HOME:

When you think about all that your Moms do for you every day, one day seems hardly enough to say thank you. Mom is always going the extra mile. How many times has Mom raced you to a birthday party? Or given up her own plans to take care of you when you’re sick? How hard does she work every day just to keep you healthy, well-fed, and strong?

If you said, “I love you” to your Mom this morning, that’s great. You should say it again this afternoon. Say it tomorrow when you head off to school, and say it tomorrow night as well. Say it every day, several times a day. Mom is a special lady, and you can never say you love her enough.

Here’s another way to tell Mom you love her: take action. Do something to show her how much you appreciate her. I don’t mean buy her gifts and cards and flowers. Do something around the house! Do one of her jobs so she can have a break. Let her watch one of her shows instead of forcing her to watch Frozen for the 900th time. Moms sacrifice for their kids all the time! All of us can sacrifice a little time and a little hard work for Mom, right?

Moms are special ladies. They are a gift from God, and they will always be there for us. Let Mom know you love her every day. In words and in actions, let’s all remember to say “I love you” every day of the year!